Trinidad and Tobago’s women footballers are still pleading forassistance, just few months after they marginally failed to qualify last December for the Women’s World Cup, currently taking place in Canada.

Having recently led Defence Force to two professional league titles, Ross Russell inherited the team which finished fourth at the 2014 CONCACAF Championships and lost a playoff to Ecuador 1-0 on aggregate for the final spot in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. There was a public outcry and great show of support when the Women Warriors were reported to have gone to the 2014 CONCACAF Gold Cup with little funds. Since then, much of the corporate support have dried up, once the team missed out on World Cup qualification.

“We not really crying, but we need some help. We need corporate sponsors to come aboard and help us,” siad Russell, while also indicating that the players are also doing their part to raise funds.

“Ladies have a way of getting the job done. Right now they are going to play a game against the netballers to raise funds,” Russell added.

The women’s football tournament at the 2015 Pan American Games will be held at the Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium, in Canada, from July 11 to 25. The women are divided into two groups for the eight-team tournament.

The top two teams in each group will advance to a semi-final stage. Canada are the defending champions from the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, where they defeat Brazil in the final.

Trinidad and Tobago open the tournament on July 11 against Argentina, before meeting Colombia (July 14) and Mexico (July 18). Russell has been in charge of the Women Warriors for about six weeks.

“It’s a work in progress,” he said. “We suppose to leave on the 6th (July). Our group opponents are Argentina, Colombia and Mexico. It’s a very tough group. The only thing good for us is that the three teams play similar, so we do not have to change our style going into the three games.

“We are grouped with big names in football. So we have to be very careful how we go up against them. But our girls are very confident we can go out there and do well,” Russell added.

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Jehue regains 400 metres hurdles title

Global champions Keshorn Walcott and Jehue Gordon enjoyed contrasting wins at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, yesterday, the final day of the NGC-Sagicor National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) Open Track and Field Championships.

Walcott was in a class of his own in the men's javelin. The 2012 Olympic gold medallist landed the spear 84.84 metres in the very first round to break his own Championship record, putting the title beyond the reach of any of his 12 rivals.

Walcott followed up with an 82.71m throw in round two. Having thoroughly entertained his adoring home fans, the 22-year-old national hero then passed on his last four attempts, leaving Shakiel Waithe and 17-year-old Grenadian Anderson Peters to battle for the minor medals.

Waithe seized silver with a big 77.30m throw--a new personal best. Peters, meanwhile, produced a 74.20m effort to bag bronze.

Gordon was forced to work hard for the men's 400 metres hurdles title. Though the 2013 IAAF World Championship gold medallist went out aggressively, defending national champion Emmanuel Mayers was on level terms at the halfway point.

Gordon and Mayers were still battling stride for stride coming off the penultimate barrier. But it was Gordon who was a bit stronger at the end, crossing the line in 50.06 seconds to regain the title he surrendered to Mayers in 2014. Mayers finished second in 50.24, well ahead of third-placed Ruebin Walters (51.82).

"It was definitely not easy," Gordon told the Express, after the race. "These guys, they're hungry. I just had to keep my eyes on my lane, use my experience, and bring my 'A' game at this point in time. The conditions, they were not too good with the wind, but hey, we all had to compete under the same circumstances. I guess I was the better man today."

Gordon will be in Beijing, China in late August to defend his world title.

"I would give it my best. It's definitely not going to be easy. But you know me, it's always about making sure I'll be my best at that point in time. Once it comes to the Championships, it's not really about times, but making sure that we're fit enough to go through the rounds, make it to the final, and bring home a medal."

Kyle Greaux won the men's 200m title in a personal best 20.42 seconds, from Rondel Sorrillo (20.50) and Dan-Neil Telesford (20.53).

Reyare Thomas captured the women's half-lap crown in a wind-assisted 22.97 seconds. Kamaria Durant (23.15) and Magnolia Howell (23.64) picked up the minor medals.

Just two athletes faced the starter in the women's 400m hurdles. But Josanne Lucas and Sparkle McKnight combined to produce one of the most thrilling finishes at the Championships. They both got to the line in 56.76 seconds. Lucas, though, got the win, the 2009 IAAF World Championship bronze medallist beating her rival by just two-thousandths of a second.

"I am really happy," said Lucas. "This is the best race I've had in Trinidad in the 400 hurdles, by far. We pushed each other, so I think it was good.”

Jamaal James just got the better of Nicholas Landeau in the men's 800m final. James returned a time of one minute, 49.36 seconds, while Landeau clocked 1:49.41.

Alena Brooks won the women's 800m in 2:06.71, forcing American-born Myah Hicks to settle for silver in 2:07.66.

Cleopatra Borel threw 18.46m to enjoy a comfortable victory in the women's shot put.

Walcott's brother, Elton Walcott topped the men's triple jump field with a wind-aided 16.40m effort. He also produced a legal 16.32m jump.

Veteran Marsha Mark-Baird accumulated 4,793 points—a new Championship record—to win the women's heptathlon.

There were uninhibited celebrations from Quincy Wilson following his 57.78m fourth round throw in the men's discus. He looked to the heavens with gratitude, dived in the grass, and even treated patrons to the “Usain Bolt pose”.

The competition was not yet over, but Wilson knew he had done enough to secure the gold. More importantly, the huge throw signalled a successful comeback from injury and qualification for next month's Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada.

SUNDAY'S FINALS

Men's 200m (wind: +1.7)

1 Kyle Greaux (Abilene) 20.42

2 Rondel Sorrillo (La Brea) 20.50

3 Dan-Neil Telesford (Neon Trackers) 20.53

Women's 200m (wind: +2.2)

1 Reyare Thomas (Abilene) 22.97

2 Kamaria Durant (Simplex) 23.15

3 Magnolia Howell (unattached) 23.64

Men's 200m “B” race (wind: +1.9)

1 Tristan Walker (Jamaica) 20.60

2 Winston George (Guyana) 20.68

3 Kevin Haynes (Defence Force) 21.14

Women's 200m “B” race (wind: +1.8)

1 Karene King (British Virgin Islands) 23.26

2 Ashley Kelly (British Virgin Islands) 23.36

3 Ngozi Onwumere (Nigeria) 23.78

Men's 800m

1 Jamaal James (Rebirth) 1:49.36

2 Nicholas Landeau (Rebirth) 1:49.41

3 Kendis Bullard (Defence Force) 1:51.01

Women's 800m

1 Alena Brooks (Memphis) 2:06.71

2 Myah Hicks (Memphis) 2:07.66

3 Dawnel Collymore (Memphis) 2:10.76

Men's 5000m

1 Kenneth Rotich (Kenya) 15:04:66

2 Jules La Rode (Penal) 16:17:15

3 Iley Bruce (Dovers) 16:26:73

Men's 400m hurdles

1 Jehue Gordon (Memphis) 50.06

2 Emmanuel Mayers (Rebirth) 50.24

3 Ruebin Walters (Memphis) 51.82

Women's 400m hurdles

1 Josanne Lucas (Falcons) 56.76 (56.757)

2 Sparkle McKnight (Memphis) 56.76 (56.759)

Men's high jump

1 Brendan Williams (Dominica) 2.10m

2 Omari Benoit (Falcons) 1.90m

3 Rodney Liverpool (Defence Force) 1.90m

Men's pole vault

1 Ian West (Point Fortin New Jets) 3.00m

2 Anderson Subero (Sangre Grande Secondary) 2.60m

Women's long jump

1 Chantel Malone (British Virgin Islands) 6.51m (wind: +2.4)

2 Josanne Joseph (Concorde) 5.76m (wind: +3.3)

3 Dannielle Davis (unattached) 5.64m (wind: +2.1)

Men's triple jump

1 Elton Walcott (UTT) 16.40m (wind: +3.9)

2 Kyron Blaise (Rebirth) 16.23m (wind: +3.0)

3 Steve Waithe (Memphis) 16.04m (wind: +2.5)

Women's shot put

1 Cleopatra Borel (Rebirth) 18.46m

2 Chelsea James (Falcons) 14.54m

3 Jaleesa Williams (D'Abadie Progressive) 14.48m

Men's discus

1 Quincy Wilson (Rebirth) 57.78m

2 Emmanuel Stewart (Zenith) 51.80m

3 Keon Francis (UWI) 46.47m

Men's javelin

1 Keshorn Walcott (Rebirth) 84.84m CR

2 Shaquille Waithe (Rebirth) 77.30m

3 Anderson Peters (Grenada) 74.20m

Men's decathlon

1 Victor Isaac (Toco TAFAC) 5,872 points

2 Shevon Smith (Sangre Grande Secondary) 4,014

3 Brad Robert (Sangre Grande Secondary) 3,875

Women's heptathlon

1 Marsha Mark-Baird (Palo Seco) 4,793 points CR

2 Kechelle Douglas (UTT) 4,590

3 Aeisha McDavid (unattached) 4,569

Men's 4x100m

1 Abilene 40.75

2 Alpha Athletic 41.02

3 Defence Force 41.91

Men's 4x400m

1 Memphis Pioneers 3:13.72

2 Defence Force 3:14.29

3 Dovers 3:22.78

Men's 100m Masters (wind: +1.8)

1 Norton St Louis (Defence Force) 10.98

2 Martin Prime (ZC) 11.85

3 Lester Herbert (ZC) 12.04

Women's 100m Masters (wind: +1.9)

1 Ayanna Hutchinson (Concorde) 11.96

2 Alisha Fortune (Guyana) 12.20

3 Joan Hospedales (T&T Masters) 13.90

CR – Championship Record

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THE Trinidad and Tobago pairs failed to advance from the round-robin group stage of the second leg of the NORCECA (North, Central America and the Caribbean) 2015 Beach Volleyball Tour on Saturday in the Dominican Republic.

After winning one of their two matches when the tournament served off the day before, Fabian Whitfield and Daneil Williams turned in a respectable performance in their final Group C fixture before going down 21-17, 21-18 against unbeaten Canadians Garet May and Daniel Dearing.

The “Toco Boy” then began their quest for a ninth-place finish with an impressive 21-9, 21-9 victory over a pair from Bonaire.

Williams and Whitfield, who last month led T&T to the Caribbean men’s title and a place in the second round of regional qualifying for next year’s Olympic Games in Brazil, had beaten a pair from Jamaica in straight sets (21-9, 22-20) on Friday, but gone under 21-10, 21-14 against two players from United States Virgin Islands.

Playing in their first NORCECA tournament together, Ayana Dyette and Makila Davidson failed to win a set from their three matches against pairs from the United States, El Salvador and Cuba in a tough Group D.

The T&T women were then beaten 21-16, 21-10 against Nicaraguans in their opening match in the playoff for ninth place on Saturday.

Both T&T pairs will next compete in the Pan American Games in Canada in a couple of weeks.

There are ten legs in this year NORCECA Tour, which will conclude in Trinidad in mid-­November.

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England’s historic victory over Canada in the Women’s World Cup has been hailed as a game-changer for women’s football, as a wave of new fans tuned in to see an England team reach a World Cup semi-final for the first time since Italia 90.

Despite a 12.30am kick off for UK viewers, more than 1.6 million people watched England beat hosts Canada 2-1 in Vancouver, in front of a sell out 54,027, which mostly comprised fiercely partisan home fans, at the BC Stadium on Saturday.

“This feels like a really special moment in the history of the game,” said Kelly Simmons, director of the national game and women’s football at the FA. “I think this is the moment that the general public fell in love with the Lionesses. So many people back home are supporting us and are rightly proud – in terms of awareness this has been absolutely fantastic.”

In the deafening arena, which matched any male World Cup tie for passion and dedication, thousands of Canadians did their best to cheer the ball into England’s net. But after a superb strike from Jodie Taylor and a looping header from Lucy Bronze, England managed to resist pressure from Canada, which mounted even higher after Christine Sinclair pulled one back for the hosts just before half-time, and held on for a nail-biting victory that had fans on the edge of the seats until the final whistle.

The Duke of Cambridge, president of the FA, said he was thrilled to see the England women progress to the semis for the first time.

“This team is making history and I can’t wait to see them in action against Japan. I know a lot of people have been following the team’s progress, and I’m sure many more will now seize the chance to support this great moment for English football,” he said. “The Lionesses are doing their country proud.”

England manager Mark Sampson said his team had matched their male counterparts from 1966 and 1990 by reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup. “They are history-makers again, the third ever England team to get to a semi-final,” he said. “They have shown a desire I’ve never seen from an England team before to hang on in there and get us through to the next round.”

His team – a diverse, now largely professional, group of 23 women – have created an extraordinary bond and unity of purpose. From Chelsea’s Claire Rafferty, who works as an analyst for Deutsche Bank, to Katie Chapman, a mother of three, and Eniola Aluko, taking a sabbatical from her career as a lawyer to turn professional, they appear to peaking in perfect synchronicity.

England will face world champions Japan in a crunch match on Wednesday, which will now be shown on BBC1, rather than BBC3, after the tournament has proved a ratings hit – peaking at with more than 2 million viewers.

England fans have been swept along by the victory, with huge stars of the game adding their voices to the congratulations that swamped the England players.

“England women doing the country proud. Huge congratulations on reaching the semi finals,” wrote the captain of the men’s team, Wayne Rooney – who earns £300,000 a week, compared to the women’s captain Steph Houghton’s £35,000 a year. Gary Lineker added: “Great to see England reach the Women’s World Cup semi-finals. 25 years since one of our teams did that. What a massive boost to the sport in this country if they could go on to win it.”

Only 27 players in the Women’s Super League (WSL) are on full professional contracts, but the professionalism in the game is growing rapidly, said Simmons. Participation in the women’s game is booming – in 1993 there were just 80 registered girls’ teams; today there are 5,143, with 1,437 registered adult sides. “There are still cultural barriers in the UK that you just don’t see in places like Canada and the US,” she said. “The Women’s Super League is definitely helping, but becoming fully professional is fundamental. We need to transfer this fantastic support to regular coverage and fans for the WSL.”

Lionesses fan Carrie Dunn, author of a book about the WSL and head of sports journalism at the University of East London, said the British media now had to commit to covering the women’s game – and not just at the World Cup.

The England’s women’s team has a budget of £10.8m, higher than any other European country. But attracting commercial sponsorship and a larger fanbase, so clubs can become self-supporting, remains crucial for the success of the game.

“This could be a game-changer, but it has to be built on,” said Dunn. “The argument has always been that people aren’t interested, but this clearly shows they are. This is a chance to get the whole nation behind them and that money invested.”

Speaking in a haze of joy after the victory in Vancouver, Rachel O’Sullivan, who spends most of their free time and money following England with pal Sophie Downey for their website Girls on the Ball, said she “still couldn’t quite believe” the Lionesses had done it. “We’re sure now, more than ever, that they can go all the way,” she said. “We’re so immensely proud of our pride.”

Asif Burhan, a dedicated England fan who travels around the world supporting both the men and women’s teams, said there was no difference between the atmosphere in Canada and the men’s World Cup in Brazil last year. “Results change perceptions,” he said. “As the players walked off the pitch last night I shouted to them that they had changed the country, and made us proud. I don’t think they knew what I was going on about – they won’t realise how much people care.”

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Tyson Gay won the 100m at the US trials as 19-year-old Trayvon Bromell became the first teenager to qualify for the American World Championships team.

Gay, 32, clocked 9.87 seconds and will return to the Worlds in Beijing in August for the first time since 2009. Bromell ran 9.84 in the heats, making him the tenth-fastest man in history, and was second in the final with 9.96.

Diamond League champion Justin Gatlin has a bye for the 100m in Beijing but will still race in the 200m trials. Gatlin, 33, has run 2015's fastest 100m and 200m - 9.75 and 19.68 seconds respectively - while double-Olympic champion Usain Bolt has posted 10.12 in the 100m so far in 2015 after coming back from injury.

Bromell, who ran a wind-assisted 9.76 seconds in his semi-final, had the advantage over Gay early in the trials final but the 2007 world champion powered through in the final 30m and won by almost a tenth of a second.

Meanwhile at the Jamaican trials in Kingston, former world-record holder Asafa Powell surged to the 100m title but 2011 world champion Yohan Blake failed to make the final.

Powell, 32, pulled away from the field in the last 20m to equal his season best of 9.84.

However Blake, 25, was sixth in Powell's semi-final in a time of 10.36. The 2012 Olympic 100 and 200m silver medallist won the world title in 2011 when Bolt was disqualified for a false start.

Bolt withdrew from the trials on Thursday.

Bridgetown, Barbados: The Barbados Tridents made it three wins in three as they brushed aside the Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel by eight wickets in the Hero Caribbean Premier League. The Red Steel never recovered from four early wickets inside the first six overs as they stumbled to 95-9 in the face of some superb bowling from a rampant Tridents side who have already set the early pace in pursuit of automatic qualification for the Hero CPL final.

The undefeated Tridents began brilliantly yet again as Jason Holder produced a fantastic spell of quick and aggressive bowling to leave the Red Steel in serious trouble inside their batting Powerplay. Holder dismissed three players - Cameron Delport, Darren Bravo and Kamran Akmal.

All three batsman struggled to cope with the extra bounce that Holder extracted from this Kensington Oval pitch. Ravi Rampaul also chipped in with a wicket inside the first six overs, dismissing South African legend Jacques Kallis who mistimed a hook shot to lose his wicket for just one run.

Things only got worse for the Red Steel when William Perkins took off for a single only for Jason Mohammed not to respond to his call. He scampered back to the bowlers end but not quick enough to prevent him being run out by a yard. At the end of the Powerplay the Red Steel were 26-5. In last year’s CPL the Tridents bowled the Red Steel out for just 52 in this same fixture and for a while it looked like they might make even fewer runs this time.

Holder bowled all four of his overs in that one opening spell picking up outstanding figures of 3-11. His standing as an all-round talent continues to grow.

The rain arrived in Barbados and the umpires did their best to keep the players on the park but when a steady drizzle became a more consistent downpour they called a halt to proceedings with the Red Steel needing to regroup to get a total that they could hope to defend. Thankfully the delay was a brief one and when the game got underway the Red Steel managed a small rebuilding job as Dwayne Bravo and Mohammed put on 46 runs at a run a ball.

The stand was broken when Dwayne Bravo drilled the ball into the hands of Navin Stewart in the covers having made 30 off 28 balls. Mohammed didn’t last much longer, dismissed in the very next over. He had made 20 off 27 balls when he hooked Kieron Pollard to the waiting hands of Dwayne Smith.

Johan Botha looked to get the side up over 100 while attempting to bat out the overs. He made it to 14 off 22 balls before he was run out. He should have been dismissed for 13, caught on the boundary, but the catch was dropped by Holder. A decent throw from Holder saw the South African spinner run out off that very same ball.

The Red Steel finished on 95-9 off their 20 overs. It always looked a long way from enough to beat a Tridents team that are riding high in this year’s Hero CPL.

The Tridents made an absolute mockery of this target as Smith and Dilshan Munaweera found the boundary with ease in an opening stand of 72 off just 56 balls. The Red Steel’s lack of pace options was exposed early on as none of their seamers could find the bounce that had so troubled their top order in the first innings.

The Red Steel opened the bowling with Samuel Badree’s legspin and Munaweera was brutally dismissive as he drove them down the ground for two fours and a six in one over. While Munaweera was playing lovely drives Smith was pulling and hooking anything that was dropped short.

The Red Steel had a chance to end this opening stand when Kallis dropped Munaweera when the Sri Lankan was on 25. Even if that had been taken the Tridents were already halfway to their victory target with 14 overs to go.

Munaweera finished on 39 and Smith made 33 to demolish their opponents.

Although the Tridents lost both openers in successive deliveries to the bowling of Sulieman Benn they still progressed towards victory serenely as they made this chase look incredibly straightforward.

Barbados now have one more game at their home ground before they move on to St Kitts. If they win that they will be brilliantly placed to go a long way in this event.

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